Speedometer drive



Dec, 16, 1924.

H. s. GINGRICH SPEEDOMETER DRIVE 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 28, 1923 Dec, 16, 1924.

H. S. GINGRICH SPEEDOMETER' DR IVE Filed Nov. 28, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 all mms3? BY M WTTORNEY Dec. 16, l924 1,519,537

H. s. GINGRlcH SPEEDOMETER DRIVE [hum y N VE N TOR /zZ/wld J. zij/'kada w %ORNEY HARLD Si.

GINGRIGH, OF DETROIT,

MIGHIGN.

SPEEDOMETER DRIVE.

Application filed November 2S, 1923.

To ZZ lolio/n it may concer/li:

Be it known that HAROLD S. Glimmen, citizen ot' the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county ot lllayne and State ot Michigan, has invented certain new and usetul linproveinents in Speedometer Drives, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in speedometer drives and more particularly to the type ot drive attachable to the front wheel of a vehicle.

rlhe primary object. or the invention is to provide a housing :tor the drive to protect the gears from foreign matter such as dirt, stones, and water, insuring smooth and uninterrupted operation oi: the gears at all times.

A 'further object oi' the invention is to provide a drive having a housing enclosing the drive and pinion gears and means :tor shitting the pinion gear out et mesh with the drive gear, to render the drive inoperative.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the above character which is simple and durable in construction, reliable and elicient in operation, accessible for repairs and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages oi the invention will be apparent during the course ot the following` description.

ln the accompanying drawings forming a part oit this specitication and in which like numerals are employed Yto designate like parts throughout the saine,

Fig. l, is a sectional elevation ot the preferred torni or my invention,

Fig. il, is a perspective view 't the same,

3, is a side elevation with parts broken away to show the connection between 'the gears,

Fig. a, a side elevation with parts broken away showing a modi tied torni oli my invention, and,

5, is a sectional elevation ot the modified torni.

Referring to the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment ot my invention, the numeral 5 designates the hub of a vehicle wheel 6, mounted on the usual spindle 7 which forms a part ot the steering knuckle 8 pivot-ally mounted in the yoke 9 of the vehicle axle. The hub is fitted with the usual ball bearings l0 held in place by the adjusting cone ll and lock nut l2 and a hub cap cl3 covers the end of the hub enclosing the Serial No. 677,424.

spindle. This construction is of conventional type and is merely shown 'for illustrative purposes.

In Figs. l, 2 and 3, a preferred ttorin of my invention is shown and shovm in Fig. l, a spur gear l/l is rigidly attached to the wheel hub 5 by the wheel :flange bolts l5 which pass througn the flange 16 cast integral with the gear. The spur l-l is adapted to revolve with the vehicle wheel and is enclosed by a stationary circular drum 17 riveted or welded to the annular flange 18 cast integral with the steering knuckle 8. The portion of the drinn adjoining the flange is slightly depressed, as at 18', providing a comnninicating passage between the hub and drum, through which lubricant may be supplied to the gear. An annular washer of any suitable material is seated in a recess 2O formed along the edge of the gear lll, being held in place by a retaining ring 2l interposed between the gear flange 16 and hub liange 2l. A flat spring 22 is interposed between the recess 2O and the washer 19, pressing the latter against the drum, taking up the wear and ailifording a tight lit at all times.

As more clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the peripheral edge of the drum l? is provided with. an opening covered by a substantially tl-shaped housing 28 attached to the drum by bolts 24. The housing encloses a pinion gear iournaled in the cover plate 26. The cover plate is secured to the housing by set screws 27 passing through slots 28, whereby the cover may be longitudinally adjusted, by loosing the screws, to shirt the pinion gear in or out ot mesh with the spur gear. The pinion gear is connected with a flexible sha'ftine' 29 leading to the speedometer, not showin, through the nediuni el" a swivel oint held in place by the clamp Si),

ln Figs. and 5, a modified torni ol in v invention is shown` in which l have sub stituted an annular gear with inside teeth Ylier the spur gear and placed the pinion gear inside the drum. The annular gear Sl is centrally secured within a drum 32 by bolts 32. The drum is rigidly attached to the hub 5 through the medium oia the hub flange bolts l5 and revolves therewith. rlhe open side of the drum is covered with. stationary pressed steel disk 33 riveted or welded to the flange 18. The inner and outer edges of the disk 33 are oil-set, as at Se and 34', the latter forminga shoulder 35 which provides a sea-t l (l l) for the annular' washer 36. The inner' off-set 311-, provides a passage between the hub and drum through which lubricant may pass. A fiat spring 37 is interposed between Vthe shoulder 85 and washer 36 pressing the latter firmly against the drum to aiiord a tight iit between the cover and drum. The washer 3G is held' seated by the annular retaining ring 3S attached to the inner side of the disk 33, by bolts 39. i

As more clearly shown in Fig. et, the pinion gear i-0 is mounted within the drum 32 through an opening in the disk 33, and is positioned to mesh withthe annular gear 3l. The pinion gear is journaled in the bearing plate il covering` the opening and riveted to theouter side of the disk. The gear is connectedto the flexible shafting 29 leading to the speedometer, not shown, throughA the medium of a swivel ljoint-held in place by the clamp 4:2.

Thus, it will be seen,.that in operation the drive gear revolves with the vehicle wheel and the movement of the drive gear is imparted to the speedometer through the medium of the pinion gear and flexible shafting. To protect the `gears against foreign matter likely to interfere with their oper-ation, the gears are completely enclosed byv a casing, so constructed that a tight t is established between the moving parts and stationary parts. Furthermore, the casing is designed so thel pinion gear may be shifted out oic meshwith the drive gear to render the drive inoperative, and may be readily taken apart to make necessary repairs.

It is to be understood that the forms ot my invention herewith shown'anddescribed are to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that certainchanges in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In aspeedometer drive, the combination with a rotatable driving member, of a drive gear attaehable to said driving member, a stationary drum enclosing said drive gear' having an opening through its peripheral edge, a housing covering` said opening having an adjustable cover, and a pinion gear journaled in said cover and normally meshing with said drive gear.

2. A speedometer drive including a drive gear, a drum enclosing said drive gear, a pinion gear driven by said drive gear, a housing carried by said drum-enclosing, said pinion gear, a. cover slidably associated with said housing, said pinion gear being journaledy in said cover, andv means for adjusting said cover to shift said pinion gear in and out of mesh with said drive gear.

3. A, speedometer drive including a drive gear, a drum enclosing said drive gear having an opening through its peripheral edge, a housing covering said openingI and a pinion. gear journaled in the wall of said housing, said wall being movable to adjust said pinion gear with respect to said drive. gear.

4. A speedometer drive including a drive gear, a drum enclosing said drive gear having an opening through its peripheral edge, a housing covering said opening having a movable wall, and a pinion gear within the housing carried by said movable wall and adapted to normally mesh with said drive gear. Y

5. fr speedometer drive including a drive gear, a drum. enclosing said drive gear having an opening through its peripheral edge` a pinion gear meshing with said drive gear through said opening, a housing covering saidopening and enclosing said pinion gear, a cover movably associated with said housing, said pinion gear being journaled'in said cover and adjusting screws extending through slots in said cover to permit adjustment of said pinion gear.

In testimony whereof I atliiv my signature.

HAROLD s. eINeRioi-i. 

